


James Potter and the Unicorn Tail Hairs.

by HR4



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-06 14:30:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HR4/pseuds/HR4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Potter is starting Hogwarts, trying to follow in his parents very large footsteps. Adventures galore! My first attempt at next generation HP. Himself, Fred Weasley Jr and Lucy Chadwick's first year at Hogwarts. Multi chapter fic, still in progress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The fire crackled loudly in the grate, the dusk gathering outside. He scratched the quill on the parchment, making yet another note on the old book he was reading. The book in question was yellowed so severely that the ink and paper were almost the same colour. The pages almost cracked with age every time he turned over a page, sending up a small cloud of dust. He blew it away in irritation, his finger following the lines of ink. A clap of thunder sounded outside, making him get up, carefully putting the book on the table. Looking outside the window he saw a dark shadow getting steadily bigger.

Another flash of lightening cracked the sky open and he saw his first impression had been right. An owl was approaching. He watched the dark spot, throwing the window open as the soaking wet bird came in. The bird shook himself, water droplets spraying the room, much to his irritation, then held out the leg with the parchment roll on it. The roll was surprisingly dry and his annoyance with the wet bird vanished instantly. The letter contained only three words. 

Tomorrow. It's time.

He smiled and poked the parchment with his wand, setting light to it. The curled ashes dropped to the threadbare carpet and he abandoned them. It was time to leave. He had things to do.


	2. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

"Go on," Ginny said to her eldest son. James looked at the wall between platforms nine and ten on Kings Cross station. It looked shockingly solid. But growing up in a household with magical parents had made him accept that not everything was as it seemed. He smiled at his younger siblings who were eagerly looking at the wall. This was all of their first visit to the station, James being the first one of the Potter children to go to Hogwarts. He had a lot to live up to. An impossibility really. Taking a deep breath he ran at the wall and heard the moment he'd passed onto the platform. The noise of the station had changed, eager students chattering away and hooting owls sounding over every part of the station. James smiled, waiting for the rest of his family to come through the solid wall.

It took only a minute or two before Harry and Albus came through, Ginny and Lily following after them. His parents smiled expectantly at James, and he suddenly felt an urgent need to get away from them. The weight of expectation on him was far too heavy and he had to get away. He looked at the clock and saw it was five to eleven. Only five minutes before the train was going to leave, much to his relief.

"Don't get into too much trouble," Harry said.

"That's rich!" James said. "After all the stuff you two got up to at school!"

"Yes well," Ginny said with a shrug. "We were young and stupid. Just be careful."

"Yes mum," James said, feeling that he couldn't possibly get into as much trouble as his father had in his time. It would involve breaking the world record. "I've got to get on the train," James said. He gave his parents a hug each and then dragged his trunk onto the train. Lily and Albus were looking enviously on. Since before they could even speak they'd heard about how wonderful Hogwarts was, and James would get there first, much to the other two's annoyance.

"Remember everything," Albus said. "I want to know it all!"

"I will," James said with a grin. "I'll write. I'll send Farley back all the time," he added, looking at the barn owl in his cage on top of his trunk. The Hogwarts Express gave a loud whistle. Just a minute left to get onto the train. "I have to go."

"Have a good year," Harry said, smiling at his son. "See you at Christmas."

"Yeah," James said with a wink, getting onto the train. Not a moment too soon either. The train started billowing smoke and moving slowly as James waved to his family through the glass on the train door. They waved back and James stayed put until they were out of sight. With a sigh, he started looking for an empty compartment. Surprisingly he found one in the second one he looked. Sheer luck. He dragged his trunk in and managed to put it on the luggage rack without too much of a struggle. He hadn't even sat down when the door opened with a loud crack.

"James!"

He turned around quickly and then smiled as he saw the familiar freckled face with red hair. "Fred! I forgot you were coming to Hogwarts this year too."

"I'm hurt!" Fred said sarcastically. "I'm your cousin."

"I know," James said, relieved to see a friendly face. Fred sat down and closed his eyes, as if going to sleep already. "Fred?"

"Mm?"

James nearly didn't speak but as the minutes passed by in silence he felt that he had to. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified," Fred said honestly, opening his eyes. "I'm named after my dads twin brother who died at the great battle of Hogwarts and my entire family fought against the ultimate evil Lord Voldemort. Quite impossible to live up to that…"

"Tell me about it," James said. "My father destroyed the most evil wizard of all time. No matter what I do… I feel like I've already failed."

"Yep," Fred said easily. "So I've decided to just forget it. I can't succeed like that… fight the greatest evil the world has ever known? I can't compete. So why waste energy trying?"

James nodded, knowing he had a point. But it was easier said than done. James opened his mouth to talk about Quidditch to take his mind off of things when the door opened. A small girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes poked her head in. She was very small and petite, looking far too young to be travelling to Hogwarts, even for a first year.

"This seat free?"

"Yeah," James said. She smiled and pulled her trunk into the compartment, propping her feet up on it as she sat down.

"I'm Lucy."

"James," he said with a smile.

"Fred."

"Hi," she said easily. She opened her trunk and got out a large thick book before flipping it open and reading it.

"Hogwarts, A history," James read off of the cover. "No one ever reads that book."

Lucy looked up confused. "What?"

"Everyone owns that book, no one reads it," Fred commented, agreeing with James. "Except Aunt Hermione but she's weird like that."

"But… I know nothing about the castle or anything," Lucy said, seeming suddenly embarrassed. "I don't want to be behind."

"You're muggle born?" James asked pleasantly.

"Er… yeah," she said, a blush on her cheeks. "I bet everyone knows so much more than me," she added bitterly.

"Oh don't worry," James said. "We all start at the beginning."

"Well, I still want to know all I can," she said. "Are you both first years?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that the ceiling of the great hall is enchanted?"

"Yes," James said. "Like the sky outside. Apparently it looks like it doesn't have a roof at all."

"So," Lucy said, snapping the book shut. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

"Gryffindor," Fred and James said at the same time, making them both laugh.

"Wow. Arrogant much?"

"What do you mean?" James asked, his brow creasing in question.

"Well, I've read a bit about the school houses and it seems to be in recent times that everyone wants to be in Gryffindor," Lucy said, rolling her eyes.

"Not true," Fred said. "I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw."

"It is true," Lucy said, smiling. "Ask any first year on the train, they all want to be Gryffindors!"

"Well, if I'm not in Gryffindor I'll be disowned," James said. "Both of my parents were, all of my grandparents were and every single one of my six uncles were too. What they'll say if I'm not… I don't know," James finished, swallowing the lump in his throat with difficulty.

"Sorry," Lucy said. "I didn't mean to… Sorry." James shrugged as if it didn't matter, when of course it did. Before anyone could say anything further the lunch trolley came around, pushed by a stringy looking and sour faced man in his early twenties.

"What d'you want?" he asked sharply.

"Great I'm starving," Lucy said. "I was too nervous to mange breakfast." She got out her purse and then frowned. "No chance you take pounds?"

"Galleons, sickles or knuts only," he almost grunted. The look of disappointment on Lucy's face was comical. James handed her a dozen or so sickles.

"Oh you can't do that!" she said.

"I'm buying your money off of you," he said. "Don't worry. Just give me a chocolate frog." She hesitated for a moment and then smiled eagerly, pushing a paper note in James's direction. She spent every last sickle on a variety of sweets, spreading them out over the table. Fred's mouth dropped open and his stomach growled loudly.

"Help yourself," she said, pushing a Fizzing Whizbee towards Fred. He didn't need much persuasion. James looked at the note he'd been given. He didn't quite understand how people could expect to buy things with bits of paper, but then again he didn't live in the muggle world. Who was he to say what was normal? He put the note in his pocket, deciding to keep hold of that. His fingers kept brushing against the note throughout the rest of the journey, the train taking them closer and closer towards Hogwarts.


	3. The Sorting

Dusk was gathering and the train started to slow. "We're nearly there," Fred said. James straightened his robes and felt nervous. Lucy's face had gone white and she was clearly nervous too.

"It'll be all right," James said to her, even though he himself felt hollow. The journey up to the castle was blurry. He didn't remember saying hello to Hagrid, even though he knew he had, and he didn't remember getting into the boat to cross the lake.

However he did remember seeing the castle for the first time. He'd heard about Hogwarts his entire life, and imagined the castle in several ways. In every way possible from the stories he'd been told so often they'd morphed into legend. He didn't expect it to be so vast. In the darkness he couldn't see the details, but the amount of torches and fires lighting up the windows showed it even bigger than he'd expected. It was a vast building.

"Wow!" Lucy whispered from the front of the boat. "This is a school?"

"Hogwarts," James said under his breath, feeling a sense of awe that he hadn't anticipated. Ever since he could remember he'd expected to go here. But he couldn't believe he'd actually set eyes on the school after so long. It looked magnificent. The boats drew to a stop, grinding slightly as they hit the shore. All of the first years jumped down, some of the girls squealed as their feet got wet at the edge of the lake. Hagrid led them up to the great hall, a silence falling over the lot of them. They waited outside the closed doors as a tall man in dark green robes holding a roll of parchment approached them and Hagrid said goodbye as he walked of. The stranger had blonde hair and a goatee and an exasperated unpleasant look on his face. James did not like the look of him one bit.

"I'm Professor Martin, the deputy headmaster," he said, sounding highly bored and speaking quickly as if to get it over with. "I will be leading you into the great hall for the sorting. For those of you who don't know, all you have to do is try on the sorting hat, which will then tell you which house is yours. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. These hourglasses here show the level of the house points," he said, pointing out the four identical items, all empty of stones in the bottom half, the top filled with bulging gems of blue, red, green and yellow. As the students watched one green glass stone dropped from the top into the bottom, indicating Slytherin. It made a tiny tinkling sound as it hit the bottom.

"The winner of the house cup will be the house with the most points at the end of the school year. Now, if you'd like to follow me." He pointed his wand at the doors which flew open and then led the first years to the front of the hall. The buzz of conversation died down as everyone watched them and James felt like he was under a bright spotlight. He looked too much like his father and he knew people would make comparisons.

"Everyone's staring at me," Lucy hissed under her breath.

"Why would they be staring at you?" James asked. Lucy blushed a vivid red but didn't get a chance to answer, as Professor Martin glared at them to be quiet. There was a stool with an old hat sitting there and James felt sick when he knew what was coming. He stared at the hat as the hall filled with total silence. Then the rip at the mouth opened and the hat began to sing.

Another time has come and gone,  
It's now the start of the year.  
Once more I'm here to sort you all,  
But don't you dare to fear.  
I know where you do best belong,  
And see inside your mind.  
I place you where is right for you,  
Even though I'm blind.  
So what are these houses four?  
Well let me tell the story.  
Four people of greatest magic  
Began this school of glory.  
They split the students into four,  
Each child for their own place.  
And now I will describe to you,  
Why each one has its grace.  
Gryffindor's are brave and daring,  
Ravenclaw's are smarter than you,  
Slytherin's are ambitious,  
Hufflepuff's are just and true.  
Each one is a unique house,  
For its own special reasons.  
So put me on, I'm never wrong,  
No matter what the season.

The hall burst into applause and James felt very distant from his body. He couldn't get his brain to connect. Did every first year student feel like this? Before he could dwell further on it Professor Martin started reading names from the list. First was a tiny boy called David Appleby. He was pronounced a "Slytherin!" loudly and he went and joined that table, relief on his face.

James looked at Fred, knowing he would be nearly last and saw that he looked slightly green. Lucy looked white. James had no idea what he looked like but he knew it couldn't be good. "Lucy Chadwick."

She went up to the stool and sat nervously as the hat slid on past her eyes. After a minute or two it declared "Hufflepuff!" to the room at large. James felt his heart sink. He would have liked to have a friend with him in Gryffindor. That is if he got into Gryffindor in the first place he thought with a surge of terror. He counted the seconds as each name got called off. He was concentrating so hard that he almost missed his own name. "James Potter." A hiss like a snake went over the hall.

"Potter?"

"The Harry Potters son?"

"Got to be. Looks just like him."

"Oh yeah, even has the little glasses!"

"That will do!" Professor Martin said, quelling the hall with a look. They went into silence as James put the hat on his head.

"Hello Potter, I've been wondering when you were going to come to Hogwarts," a voice in his ear said. James's only thought was hurry up. He didn't like the entire hall watching him. The hat tsked in his ear. "Don't worry, I'm never wrong. People with magical parents always seem so worried. I think I know what to do with you James.

"Hufflepuff!" There was a mixture of applause and gasps. James guessed that, like himself, people had thought he would be a Gryffindor. But he wasn't. His heart went down to the depths of the earth as he realised he wouldn't be sitting at the Gryffindor table. He wouldn't sit where his father and mother had sat twenty years ago. Not in the shadow of those great heroes nearly twenty years before him. Instead, he had to go to the Hufflepuff table. He took the hat off and went to sit next to Lucy, his heart low.

How would he ever be able to tell his parents this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More soon. Let me know what you think so far.


	4. The Feast

James stared at his plate with disdain as the food magically appeared in front of them. Lucy's mouth dropped open as she saw the food and then she smiled, helping herself. James followed suit after a minute and then turned around to look at the Gryffindor table. Fred was in conversation with an oriental first year. He didn't even see James looking. Lucky git, James thought ruefully. All the while he was eating, he was thinking of the letter he had to write to his parents. He would go up to the owlery as soon as possible to send it. No matter how unhappy he was with the choice of his house, it would be worse if they heard it from someone else.

"Cheer up," Lucy said. "What's the matter?"

"All four of my grandparents were in Gryffindor. My parents too. I'm supposed to tell them I'm not? I have no idea what they'll say," James said honestly. "My dad's maybe the best remembered Gryffindor there is, since Godric Gryffindor himself."

"Yeah, right," Lucy said rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"He's not lying," someone said from across the table. They both turned and saw a black boy listening to their conversation. "Jason Boyd," he added.

"Well," Lucy said, her thought interrupted. "You're not your dad though."

"Apparently." James pushed his plate away.

"Oh come on, we're not that bad," Jason said. "Maybe it's a good thing you're away from all that family history. You'll be able to do things your father never did. Visit a part of the castle he never did."

"Maybe you're right," James said. "I'm just being… stupid." He sighed and pulled the potatoes back in front of him. He was silent as he ate, listening to Jason and Lucy start chatting. They were talking about subjects they wanted to start.

"Mum says I'll be good at charms," Jason said. "When I was younger I was constantly making things change colour and stuff like that."

"Your mum's a witch?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. Dads not got any magic in him though. He has no idea about anything with magic. Didn't believe my mum was a witch until I was three and he found me in the locked basement."

"Wow," Lucy said.

"What gave it away that you were a witch?" Jason asked. "You said you were muggle born?"

"Yeah," she said. "My dad died when I was seven. And I turned everything in the house black. My mother thought I'd gone crazy."

"I bet," James said. "Sorry. About your father."

"Doesn't matter," she said with a shrug, and he knew that she didn't want to talk about it. "What about potions? Which one teaches that?"

"I don't know," Jason said looking up at the staff table. "Maybe the thin tall man on the end?"

"No, that's Neville Longbottom," James said. "Herbology. He's a friend of my parents."

"Oh," Lucy said. "Not to sound thick, but what's Herbology?"

"Magical plants," James said. "Down in the greenhouses in the grounds."

Before anything further could be said the food on the plates vanished to be replaced with desserts. James, even when he was not looking forward to telling his parents of his house placement couldn't fail to be impressed. Apple pies, blocks of ice cream, treacle pudding, rhubarb crumble, strawberry meringues, tarts and trifles in every flavour imaginable. It was delicious. By the time dinner was finished, James felt both full and happy, even with the nagging doubt about his house choice. He turned to the top table and saw Minerva McGonagall, the headmistress, addressing the students. She looked the same as she ever did, and James knew that she would never leave this school as long as she breathed, no matter how long she'd been here already.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts," she said, a smile on her thin lips. "So, some notices for the new students. As always, the forest is out of bounds, because there is a reason it is forbidden. It's a dangerous place to be. Quidditch trials for the house teams will begin on the second Saturday of term. Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that there is to be no magic in the corridors or between lessons. First years, if you'd like to follow your prefects to your house common rooms, I will say goodnight. Have a good term." There was a rush of noise and everyone got up to go to their dormitories.

James and Lucy looked around for a prefect and found a tall thin red haired girl calling the first years towards her. They walked towards her, through the jabbering noise and then she led them out of the hall. All of the students were silent, following her with a mixture of awe and respect as they went through the large entrance hall. The unnamed prefect led them down a short flight of stairs to the right, went down a long thin and dark corridor and then stopped at what appeared to be a dead end. The wall was blank, but beneath it were a dozen or so wooden barrels, stacked precariously. The prefect retrieved her wand from her robe and then told them to gather around. She tapped the barrel in the centre very specifically, and told them to remember the rhythm.

Tap tap tap. Pause. Tap. Pause. Then five more taps with her wand and the barrel yawned as if waking from a deep sleep. A crack opened in the wood to form a mouth, and the barrel was actually yawning.

"Password?" he asked, his voice sounding ancient and tired.

"Tita Morgis," the prefect said. Then, suddenly all of the barrels moved of their own accord, revealing the entrance to a large tunnel. The prefect hunched over slightly to walk through it but the first years didn't need to. They trailed after her and sure enough, soon they were standing in a circular room, which must be their common room. It was very cosy. There were two fires roaring at each end of the room, crackling delightfully. Around one, several grey vines of an unknown plant were curling around the mantelpiece, clearly the plant liked the warmth. Around the top of the room were circular windows, letting the moonlight shine in. There were more chairs and sofas in yellow and black than James could count and it looked very comfortable. A portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, smiling and waving at the new additions to her house, hung high on the wall between two more doors, both round.

"The door on the right is to the girls dormitories, the left is the boys."

"I thought we'd be in a tower," one of the girls moaned.

"One day you'll be grateful you're near the kitchens," the prefect replied knowingly. "When you're late for class and don't have to miss breakfast. Gryffindors are about half a mile away from the great hall."

The girls and boys split off from one another and James led the boys through the bricked tunnel. Every few yards there was a door with a sign on. Seventh years, sixth year, fifth and so on. The first years were at the very end of the tunnel and James opened the door to find seven four poster beds in a large and spacious room. One wall wasn't a wall at all. It was completely made out of glass, showing a view of the grounds and the forbidden forest. From the light thrown out by the castle James could even see Hagrid's house from here, one window lit up.

A loud hoot brought him back and he saw, sitting on his bed was Farley. "You know I have a letter to write don't you?" James said, stroking the owl's head gently. "Hang on, let me find my parchment and quill." James rummaged in his trunk and soon he'd written a short letter. He tied it to Farley's leg, and then opened a small portion of the grand window. The owl hooted before taking off into the night. James closed the window against the cold night chill and he fell into bed. Much to his surprise, he fell asleep almost instantly.


	5. Potions with Tabitha

James awoke to the sunshine streaming in through the window. Swinging his legs out of bed he watched over the grounds as several owls flew overhead, heading towards the owlery for their rest for the day. All of the other boys were still asleep, so in silence James pulled his robes on. He left the dormitories and went to the empty common room. It was still early. The sofa's were empty and the fires were out. He turned and looked at the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, gently snoring in her frame. James admired her for many moments.

 "You look worried," the portrait said.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"One doesn't need much sleep when one is little more than paint on a canvas," she said, her eyes alight with humour. "Why so glum? It's your first day at Hogwarts, you should be thrilled."

"Do you know my father?" James asked.

"Never met him," she said cheerfully. "But heard all about him. The famous Harry Potter. I must admit, I'm surprised to hear that a Potter is in Hufflepuff. But pleased. Most of the Potters seem to be brave to the point of stupidity. I'm afraid to say, your father shared that quality. All to the good in the end, but you at least might have a little more sense about you."

James felt like he should be angry, his father being slighted, but in fact it was refreshing to be compared favourably with him. Even if it was just a guess to his character. "Can you fly boy?"

"Yes," he said honestly. "Not seeking though. I'm better at being a beater. We were using just regular balls at home. I accidentally cracked my brothers skull." James smiled at the memory. His brother had never let him forget it, even though his skull had been fixed in minutes.

"Good," she said, smiling at him. "Have fun on the Quidditch pitch."

"First years can't join can they?"

"They can," she said. "The rules have changed, mostly because seekers need to be light and speedy. But I'm sure you'll do well." There was a sound of footsteps approaching. "Good luck Potter," Helga said, before closing her eyes and feigning sleep once more. James watched as unfamiliar students came into the common room, chatting familiarly with each other. Third or fourth years he guessed. Turning to the great hall, he went for breakfast.

* * *

 

By the time Lucy joined him, he was on his third slice of toast and the post was just arriving. She looked up in surprise as several owls swooped down to the Hufflepuff table.

"This is how the post arrives?" Lucy asked, watching as dozens of owls flew over the house tables, even a few for the teachers.

"Yep," James said unconcerned. Farley wasn't present, but he'd probably come tomorrow with his fathers reply.

James turned and saw the heads of houses giving out the timetables. Professor Longbottom was head of Gryffindor, Flitwick for Ravenclaw, a small and quiet witch for Slytherin and Professor Martin for Hufflepuff.

He gave out the timetables. "What do you teach sir?" James asked before he could stop himself.

"Transfiguration," he said with a slight smile. "I have you this afternoon actually."

"Great," Lucy said looking at her timetable. As soon as Martin had moved on, Fred came and sat on the bench next to them.

"So we have Herbology together later then?" James looked and saw that he was indeed sharing Herbology with the Gryffindors. Last lesson of the day. This morning he had double potions with the Ravenclaws, taught by Professor Edwards. That should be interesting.

"How's the Gryffindor common room then?" James asked.

"Lonely," he admitted. "I thought I'd be sharing it with you."

"Have I just vanished into the surroundings?" Lucy asked tartly.

"Well, you were an unknown entity," Fred said. "We didn't have any expectations."

"Just because I'm in Hufflepuff does not mean "I've failed to meet expectations"," she said firmly. "I happen to like my house."

"I didn't mean it that way," Fred said, turning red. "I meant that you had no pressure from your family," he said. "That's all."

"Right," she said.

"Not a Weasley or a Potter," James said with a wide grin. "Come on," he said to Lucy. "We better get going to the dungeons." Fred went back to his table and carried on eating breakfast while the other two headed downstairs. The dungeons were lit only by torchlight and they were freezing. They'd only been there a few moments when the door opened and a tiny plump little witch with a friendly face came out of the classroom, holding the door open for the students. They all filed in and sat behind their desks, two to a cauldron. James picked one in the middle and Lucy sat next to him, peering inside the cauldron which she'd never seen before. But at the moment it was empty.

"Right, good morning students! I'm Tabitha Edwards, head of Slytherin house and teacher of potions at Hogwarts. Welcome!" The students looked between themselves at this falsely cheery greeting. No one could be that happy.

"This morning you will be making a simple sleeping draught," she said, dropping the happy smile, but her grey eyes still sparkled. "It’s not too complicated." She waved her wand at the backboard and the instructions appeared. She waved it again at the student cupboard and the jars of ingredients started shaking eagerly. "Go."

* * *

 

James looked at his and Lucy's potion with disdain. It was supposed to look like thick cream. Instead it looked like blue smoke in liquid form. How on earth had they messed up with only five different ingredients? "This isn't going well is it?" Lucy said.

"No," James agreed. He was about to suggest starting again when Professor Edwards pointed her wand in the air to make a loud blast like a cannon. Everyone stopped and looked at her, which was her intention.

"I'll check everyone's work now." She went among the cauldrons, seeing several to her satisfaction. As luck would have it James and Lucy were last. Professor Edwards looked inside the cauldron and her face went white. "This… is not a sleeping draught," she said, stuttering over her words slightly.

"No," James agreed, feeling it was pointless to deny it. Edwards glared at them both and Lucy looked at James warily. At that moment the bell rang.

"Class, research the uses of bat spleens in sleeping draughts, to be in on Thursday," she said over the noise of children heading for the door. "Mr Potter and Miss Chadwick, I want a word." They stood in trepidation while all the other students filed out of the room. When they were alone the teacher pointed her wand at the door, which locked with an ominous click.

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice little more than a hushed breath of wind.

"Do?" Lucy asked, her face pale.

"To create… this potion?" Professor Edwards said in a hiss, the formerly cheerful look on her face long since vanished. She looked furious.

"Nothing," James said. "I mean, we just followed the instructions on the board."

"Not very well," Lucy piped in. The teacher looked at the potion, confusion on her face. "What… what potion have we made?"

"Nothing," the teacher said with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter. Go and get your lunch." They paused, looking at each other and then down at the potion. Which then vanished with a wave of Edwards wand.

"Go!" Quickly grabbing their bags they ran through the door, which burst open the second Lucy's hand touched it. They ran through the dungeons, up into the higher levels of the castle.

"What the hell was that about?" Lucy asked breathlessly.

"I have no idea," James replied firmly.


	6. The Passing of The Cloak

 

Both Lucy and James were quiet as they headed into their Transfiguration class that afternoon. Jason Boyd sat next to them and whispered in an undertone. "What did you do in potions?"

"I have no idea," James said.

"We made something… wrong," Lucy said.

"She seemed furious with you!"

"I know," James said. They were hushed by Professor Martin who glared at the class to be silent.

"Today you will be turning matchsticks into needles," he said, completely disinterested. "Or attempting to, I doubt this early in your magical training you'll be able to. So wands out, and practise. The incantation is mutari inacus. Begin."

Professor Martin walked between their desks, correcting wand movement and the way the incantation was said. James got his wand out and looked at it. The first time since arriving at Hogwarts. He couldn't do any magic yet but he had learnt from his father never to go anywhere without his wand. Ten inches, maple with a core of dragon heartstring. Literally the heart of a dragon. He pointed it at the matchstick and felt foolish as he mumbled the incantation. Nothing happened.

He jabbed his wand at the matchstick and repeated himself louder. Lucy next to him was following his example. "Yes!" He turned and saw her looking at a needle. She was the first one in the class to accomplish it. James tried again, and much to his surprise, found the matchstick slowly changing shape. It stopped changing halfway through. Come on, he found himself thinking to himself. Mutari inacus! The stick changed to a needle the rest of the way. James smiled in pleasure at the success.

"Well done," Professor Martin said. "Try again." The whole class was watching as Lucy and James were given another matchstick. They caught each others eyes and looked at their items, willing them to change. Mutari inacus! James thought fervently. He grinned as the stick changed into a needle yet again. Slowly, but it did it.

The entire class was staring at him. It was only at this point that James realised he hadn't spoken at all. He'd thought the incantation in his head. "Potter, how did you do that?"

"I thought it," James said with a shrug. "Sorry, was that wrong?"

"Nigh on impossible," Professor Martin said in astonishment, staring at the needle, then at James, completely shocked.

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose," he said in his defence. "I was just… stop looking at me!"

Lucy was the only one who didn't turn away from James. Everyone else concentrated on their own work, the babble of conversation breaking out over the entire room, and James knew perfectly well he was the subject of the discussion. James stared at his two needles, his pleasure in his first proper magic all but gone. Why couldn't he just be normal? Why couldn't he walk down the corridors without being stared at?

That night James got into bed when there was a tap at the window. He looked up and saw Farley tapping on the glass. He darted up and opened the window and the bird flew over the boys beds, making everyone look at him before swooping down to James's shoulder. He smiled and unrolled the parchment letter from his father.

_James, meet me in the trophy room tonight. I'm proud of you. Dad._

James turned over the parchment but there was no more. That was it? And why was his father at Hogwarts in the first place? But James knew he would go to see him. Curiosity, if nothing else. So he quickly got dressed, trying to be as quiet as possible, and not disturb the others.

"Where are you going?" Jason asked. James looked at him, debating what to say. He’d be going to the trophy room anyway, but he didn’t want a delay to see his father.

"It doesn't matter," James said.

"Don't get caught."

"I wasn't planning on it," James said with a smile. "I guess I am my father's son."

"Want company?" Jason asked. James could tell he was eager for a Hogwarts adventure, but he shook his head.

"Not this time." James looked to make sure the other boys weren't listening. "My father wants to see me," he added quietly.

"Well, I'll come sneaking with you around the castle some other night then," Jason said with a smile. Farley flew out of the open window, presumably to go hunting and James quickly left the Hufflepuff dormitories. Throughout the castle there was an absence of people. James was pleased not to bump into anyone, and breathed easily when he got to the unlocked trophy room. But there was no one there.

"Dad!" he hissed, creeping through the cabinets of silverware, casting unexpected shadows in the moonlight. "Dad!" James was just beginning to wonder if it had been a trap when Harry appeared, as if from nowhere in the middle of the room. The famous invisibility cloak fell to the floor. James had never, ever seen it, but heard of it frequently. He had longed to see it and the silvery material was so beautiful to behold. As well as the power it held within its woven fabric. James wanted to slip under it, to see what it felt like to be invisible. To be in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts under his father and grandfathers famous, no, infamous cloak would be something indeed.

James tore his eyes away from the cloak and looked at his father. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see my son," he said. "I hope you're not too disappointed with your house. Just because I was a Gryffindor never once meant you had to be."

"I know," James said. "I just hear so many stories. From you and mum. And all my uncles, and aunt Hermione. I half expected to be there that's all. I've gotten used to it now, but it was a… shock."

"Good," Harry said, smiling at his son. "Tell me about your first day." So James did.

"You managed a non verbal spell on your first day?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I just did it without thinking about it," James said. "I wish I hadn't. Everyone's acting like it's a big deal." This was perfectly true and he hadn't liked the stares throughout dinner.

"Your mother and I are so proud of you," Harry said with a smile. "So where is the Hufflepuff common room? In all my years, I never came across it."

"By the kitchens," James said. "But I'm not telling you how to get into them." He grinned at his father, thrilled to know something about the castle that his father didn’t.

"Fair enough," he said. "I came here to give you this." Harry passed the silky invisibility cloak. "I couldn't do it in front of your brother, he'd be terribly jealous."

"Really?" James asked eagerly. "I get your cloak?"

"It's your cloak now," Harry said. "It goes to my eldest son, and then your eldest son. Don't flaunt it in front of Albus though."

"Wow," James said. "Thanks dad." He reached for the material which ran through his hands softly. Like water.

"Put it on," Harry said smiling. "Lets see how it looks." James barely needed the encouragement. He pulled it on over his shoulders and then his head. He felt no different but Harry's eyes drifted over the place where he'd been, so he knew he'd vanished. James moved a few steps to the left and his fathers eyes stayed where they were. James grinned as he took the cloak off.

"That's incredible," James said, as he reappeared. Harry smiled at him. Harry opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a wisp of smoke appearing in the room. The smoke turned silvery and took a distinct form of an eagle. A large, beautiful broad winged eagle. Someone's patronus which swooped down in front of Harry.

"Return to the ministry. Drood. Now." The patronus vanished almost instantly and James was left open mouthed. Harry sprung into action.

"James, put that cloak on and go back to your common room. Now. And stay there."

"Dad, what was that?" James asked. "What did it mean?"

"Now James," Harry said fervently. "I'll write, but I have to go to the Auror office."

Harry vanished so quickly out of the door that he might have apparated. James shook himself and covered himself in the cloak. He headed back to the Hufflepuff common room, his mind racing. What on earth had that meant?


	7. McGonagall's Interruption

James spent the next day in deep thought. He wanted to know what that had meant last night with his dad. Drood. What or who on earth was Drood?

"Are you ignoring me?" Lucy asked at lunch.

"No," he said. "Sorry." He looked around but no one was listening. "My dad came to the school last night."

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"To see me I guess," James said with a shrug. He wasn't sure he wanted to divulge the fact he had inherited his fathers invisibility cloak yet. "That wasn't the odd bit. He was called back to the ministry. A patronus alert about something called Drood. Have you ever heard about it?" he asked, wondering if her muggle upbringing had let her come across something he hadn't.

"No," she said. "What is it?"

"I don't know," he said. "That's the frustrating bit. Dad didn't stay long enough to tell me. He just told me to go back to my dormitory. I was hoping for a letter, but he hasn't sent me one today."

"He's probably busy," Lucy consoled. "I've heard he's head of the Auror office, right?"

"Yeah," James said. He didn't want to dwell on what other rumours she might have heard about his prolific father.

"Maybe he'll send you a letter over the weekend?"

"Yeah, maybe," he said. "I'm just worrying over nothing." He said it to reassure himself as much as anything else.

"Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team?" she asked, trying to distract him. "Try outs are tomorrow aren't they?"

"Yes," James said. "I don't know if I should. I might… I won't be as good as my dad."

"He's not here," Lucy said kindly. "You are. You don't have to live in his shadow. Don't live by his standards."

"Thanks," he said. "I've got a good broom actually." There was a pause as Lucy searched for something to change the subject.

"We've got Defence against the Dark Arts this afternoon. With Professor…" Lucy checked her timetable. "No, really?"

"What?"

"Professor M... Mut... Mutuari?!"

"You're lying," James said, getting out his own timetable. "Oh wow, no you're not. How do you even pronounce that?"

Lucy laughed at the look on his face, poking out his tongue in concentration.

* * *

 

However, when it came down to it, no one wanted to laugh at the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher herself. Professor Mutuari was a tiny little witch, a few inches below five foot, with a severe and harsh face, and apparently no sense of humour. She seemed to be in her late twenties, and had straight blonde hair.

She waved her wand, making textbooks appear on each of their desks. An introduction to Defence. James was reminded of Umbridge, who he had heard all sorts of stories about. The evil old hag who ruined the school for a few months in his father's fifth year.

"Okay, turn to page three and look at the wand movements illustrated." There was a loud rustling as everyone did and James looked at the title of the section. Simple repelling spell. It didn't seem too difficult. The incantation was Non Oppugnas. "So as not to cause any danger to you, inexperienced as you are, I'm going to cast a weather charm. If you are successful with your repelling spell, the effects of the charm will not touch you. Begin. Pluvia Caligo."

Suddenly a wet mist descended on the room and several people shrieked. Within a few minutes the entire class was soaked through, but everyone seemed to be having fun, trying the repelling spell. James laughed as Lucy's attempt managed to burn a hole in her text book.

Over the general cacophony and mayhem, no one heard the knock on the classroom door. It opened and Professor McGonagall stood there watching with disbelief at the chaos. "Finite Incatatem," she said clearly. Everything stopped and students turned to see what had caused it, everything in the room now dripping with rain water. "I need to speak to Potter." James tried to think what on earth he had done wrong that would require the headmistress to pull him out of class, but nothing came to him. Maybe she knew that he'd been around the castle at night. But he was with the head of the Auror office, nothing could have happened to him. Apart from the minor fact is was against the rules. But his father was Harry Potter, surely that couldn’t be the reason McGonagall was looking at him like that.

"Now please, and bring your things." McGonagall said. Everyone was staring at him as he slowly packed up his belongings and followed McGonagall out of the classroom. He caught Lucy's eye and she seemed just as confused as he was.

Once in the corridor she looked at him and seemed to notice that he was soaked through. She waved her wand briefly and he dried off instantly, feeling much warmer. "Potter, follow me to my office."

"Professor, am I… in trouble?" he asked, following her large steps through the castle.

"No, of course not," she said briskly. "Should you be?" she asked wryly as they went down a sweeping staircase.

"No," he said so quickly that he was sure she wouldn't believe him. But McGonagall didn't mention it, just led the way to her office. The gargoyle stood to attention and she gave the password. "Magnum dolorem." The gargoyle sprung aside and let them go up the spiral staircase. James walked into her office, feeling a sense of foreboding.

"Professor, what is going on?" he said quietly, noticing that all of the portraits were wide awake and listening intently.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news James," she said. All at once James realised that her severe face was broken. She seemed very upset, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. A moment later he could. "I'm afraid your father's dead."

There was a shocked silence in the room. "What?" James said. "No. He can't be. There's… been a mistake."

"No," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm sorry, there's no mistake."

"But…" James said, shaking his head. "I saw him yesterday."

"You saw him yesterday?" McGonagall asked in surprise. "When? What happened?" James recounted the conversation (leaving out the invisibility cloak as that was private). "Drood? That's what the patronus said?"

"Yes," James said. "Look, he can't be dead. He just can't be. He defeated the most evil wizard of all time! How can he be dead?"

"I don't know," McGonagall said, sniffing slightly. "He was found in his office in the ministry. Locked in, no signs of any intruders either."

"Avada Kedavra?" James asked in a hushed voice as he started to accept that this might, just might have happened.

"Surprisingly no," she said. "He… um… He was stabbed."

"What!" James said. "Muggle murder?! This doesn't make any sense."

"I know it doesn't," she agreed. "I'm very sorry. I was very fond of Harry. Misbehaving student though he was." She moved behind her desk and dipped her quill in the ink well. "I need to write to the ministry. Drood? You're sure?"

"Yes," James said. "Harry… my father… He's really… dead?" James asked slowly.

"I'm sorry, yes," she said. "Your mother's coming to the castle tonight to take you home."

James looked at his hands. He'd seen his father less than twenty four hours ago, and now he was dead? It seemed impossible. But McGonagall wouldn't lie about something like this. Before he knew it, he found his eyes filling with tears, as if he had begun to accept it. That he would never see his father again. Could that be true?

McGonagall let out a low whistle and an owl came to the window, quickly as if it had been waiting outside for her. She quickly tied the roll of parchment to him and the bird flew away quickly. He watched it until a cloud hid the creature from view before he could bring himself to turn back to the headmistress.

"James, I am so sorry," she repeated. "Do you want to stay here until your mother arrives?"

"No," he said at once, wiping his eyes with his sleeves. "I'll be in the grounds," he said. Without waiting for further conversation he turned and left the office. Once down the spiral stairs he waited for a moment, the news hovering around him heavily, his breathing coming in gasps.

And then he ran.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Harry Potter next generation fic. Please post a review if you have a few seconds to let me know what you think. Thank you.


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